Hypothermia
by Sapphire-Willow
Summary: Tumblr post inspired one-shot. Rocket has Hypothermia and he eventually lets OC, Ingrid, help him out.


Hey, so yeah, this is just a short one-shot inspired by a post from _youdon'twanttogetbitten_ on Tumblr.

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><p><em>"Our characters were ice skating on a lake that froze over, the ice under my muses feet broke and they fell in and now have hypothermia. Send me "Frozen" for my characters reaction to yours sliding into bed with them to warm them."<em>

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><p><strong>Hypothermia<strong>

Ingrid leaned against the door frame listening to quiet, yet violent chitters.

Straight ahead, her ring-tailed friend was curled up in a tight ball shivering under the bunks covers.

It was her fault he was in this condition. If she hadn't begged him to take her ice skating on that damn lake, he would be up still being his active quick-witted self.

But no, now he was in bed with frickin' hypothermia.

A low growl came from the bottom bunk and she knew Rocket was expressing his frustration.

Another pang of guilt hit Ingrid hard for the thirty-fourth time tonight. She had to help somehow, it was only right.

There was something she could do, but it was very risky. Risky enough that if the idea was put in action it could possibility result in her being harmed.

_Oh, what the hell, I take too many chances anyway;_ she thought standing straight and making her way over to the bedside.

A relieved sigh almost escaped Ingrid as she looked down and found that Rocket's back was to her.

That would make this whole thing a lot easier.

She lifted the blanket and crawled onto the mattress.

Rocket jumped with a weak gasp, quickly rolling to his stomach and peering up over his shoulder to see her drawing the blanket over her legs and torso.

"Wh-What d'you want, humie?" he managed between short and heavy breaths.

Ingrid gestured him to roll back over, and quite surprisingly, he obeyed almost instantly.

Before laying down and making herself comfortable, she reached out for the shivering heap and pulled him close to her chest.

He automatically reacted to how close and quick he had become to Ingrid. Just not in the way she expected.

Instead of lashing out like she predicted would happen, his body tensed up and he sounded a small animal noise that told her he wasn't comfortable with the current scene.

Everyone knew Rocket wasn't one for physical touch, which was sad considering everyone needed that comfort every once and awhile.

The raccoon stretched out and gripped the sheets with a shaky paw before pulling in attempt to create some space between them.

Ingrid was confused and somewhat hurt by this movement for a moment, until she noticed her friend had his stomach sticking out so that his back wouldn't be able to rest against her front.

Her mind went back to a time where she had asked Quill about Rocket and why he always wore jumpsuits.

The captain of the Milano vaguely explained what the coon had been through in the past; including himself being witness to the implants that supposably occupy Rocket's back.

Then she decided the jumpsuits played the comforting role for the trigger-happy raccoon.

_The jumpsuits weren't just physically comforting, they're mentally comforting too,_ she realized.

Everything was beginning to make a little more sense.

The girl loosened her hold and allowed Rocket to continue moving forward a bit.

"You know you can trust me.. yeah?" Ingrid whispered, feeling her eyelids getting heavy.

This caused the other to pause and think as he shuddered violently once more.

Ingrid patiently waited, becoming sleepier by the second.

She wasn't sure if one, two, three or even more minutes passed before she felt movement on the mattress.

Next thing she knew, her numbing right arm was lifted and placed over Rocket's quivering body.

With the very little strength she could muster, she pulled him close and into a hug that she hoped wasn't too tight.

The last thing she felt before slipping into unconsciousness was Rocket finally relaxing and melting into Ingrid's embrace.


End file.
